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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · kick · track · saw · bulb · deal · last · toast

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. last — final
  4. toast — bread
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. saw — the tool
  9. last — finally
  10. track — a song
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. last — to go on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — in football
  17. fall — the season
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com